The Butler Area School District board accepted a collective bargaining agreement with the Butler Education Association that will span from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2028.

The five-year contract provides an average annual salary increase of 3.3 percent per year to the 486 employees served by the association, and it extends the contractual work year by one day. The previous five-year contract provided an annual raise of 2.7 percent, according to superintendent Brian White.

White said he is happy with the agreement because of the stability it provides through the employees.

“The stability of having a contract in place will allow all of us to focus on meeting the needs of our students, which have increased due to the pandemic,” he said.

In other business, when the governor's mandate requiring masks or face coverings be worn in public schools expires Dec. 4, the Butler school district as well will make masks recommended indoors but not required.White said at Monday's school board meeting that the district plans to implement this rule, but a court case regarding the mandate could change course at any time.

The board also heard from John Pappas of Eckles Construction Services about the ongoing addition project to the high school. Pappas said contract work has begun on the project, but some uncertainty in the supply chain could throw a wrench into the schedule.The board was most concerned about the addition of 10 new classrooms to the school, which are planned to allow ninth grade to move into the building next school year.According to White, the board may have to make a decision soon regarding the migration of students from the middle school to the high school.“We had developed contingency plans — we can't wait until March to make a decision,” White said. “There are too many logistical decisions to make, so we are planning to move the ninth grade and developing contingency plans if we have to wait for our classrooms to come online as the year progresses.”